Rose Fragrances

This year I've gotten several with rose notes: Windsor, Rose 31 and Une Rose...I've heard many positive comments about others such as MFK Lumiere Noire PH, Amouage Lyric Man and FM Portrait of a Lady. Any comments to compare/contrast them or to recommend others for me to consider will be much appreciated.

Re: Rose Fragrances

I have Egoiste and have read that some fellow BNers mention the rose note in it...I like it, but don't get that component of it...is it just so well blended to be missed in that one? Or is my nose playing games with me

Re: Rose Fragrances

Originally Posted by cologne connoisseur

I have Egoiste and have read that some fellow BNers mention the rose note in it...I like it, but don't get that component of it...is it just so well blended to be missed in that one? Or is my nose playing games with me

I personally do not consider it a rose fragrance by any means..........

Re: Rose Fragrances

Thanks for everyone's input thus far, it is greatly appreciated. Please continue to provide input as you see fit. Rose-based scents are a revelation to me, frankly...I spent 2 summers in high school tending to the huge rose garden of a family friend, and I think that beautiful scent never left my memory. There's something timeless about the smell of rose, perhaps like nothing else.

Re: Rose Fragrances

Originally Posted by cologne connoisseur

I have Egoiste and have read that some fellow BNers mention the rose note in it...I like it, but don't get that component of it...is it just so well blended to be missed in that one? Or is my nose playing games with me

Perhaps it is my nose playing games, but all I get from Egoiste - from initial application through dry-down - is rose.

Re: Rose Fragrances

Noir de Noir - When people say boozy rose, this is what you expect. This smells like what someone's valentines day would be, roses, chocolate, some kind of alcohol...

Portrait of a Lady - BEAUTIFUL! Rose, berries, incense, and spices are what I get. It's about as close to perfect I can imagine. It will get noticed, and it does last.

Rose 31 - This one has been talked to death, and I tend to fall with everyone on it. Rose, cumin, and 29 other things (supposedly) make up this creation, but it's a blast. It's addictive, it's different, it's distinctive, it sets itself apart from other roses.

Rose Poivree - I thought this would be closer to Rose 31, and if you squint you might see similarities...but this smells much more strongly of rose, and it's done in that way only JCE could do. Replace Rose 31's cumin with pepper? Ehh, you'll get a closer estimation, but it has a darker feeling (animalistic coming out I think.)

Black Aoud - Rose and Oud...where have we seen that before...it must be the PB&J of the fragrance world...but this might have had something to do with it. A dark rose (really dark) some dark dank woodiness. Maybe take Noir de Noir, subtract the booze (not all of it!) take out most of the sweetness, amp it up to 11 (feel free to do the opposite to get back to NdN)

Hippie Rose - And then this came along, and I must have been taken in by the name, because at first I loved it. Patchouli, Rose (yea in that order) slight smell of incense...take out some of the berry sweetness in Portrait of a Lady, a lot of the longevity, and throw in a bunch more patchouli. It's fun, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Incense Rose - Incense, definitely. Rose, yep. An almost (but not) sickeningly sweetness to it, a bit like that other popular Tauer. Depends on the day, but I can like this.

Lyric Man - Just not worth the price...and I so wanted it to! Take that man on the end of the name for what you will, it might as well be said ironically. And look! Rose and incense again (incense must be the Nutella of the fragrance world) I just must not get it, it's being described as beautiful, all I get is blah. Maybe I'll go back to it.

West Side - You might be surprised by this one. It's fun! Imagine roses, soaked in wine, red wine. This is another I can take Noir de Noir, remove the chocolate, revise the booze to be wine, and say that's somewhat what I get. Of course it's not that simply, but fragrances rarely are. Still if you do have a mental picture for what wine and roses smells like, you're probably halfway there.

Most of the rose based fragrances I've tried I would recommend to a degree. I was disappointed in Lyric Man, Hippie Rose didn't turn out to be what I wanted it to be, but the rest are A-ok.

Re: Rose Fragrances

Rose fragrances are very subjective especially among men due to the tolerance level of visibility of the rose note in them. I am one of those who want his rose big, front and center and do not consider a fragrance with the rose note "well hidden" by other notes a rose fragrance

Here are the "so-call" rose fragrances I've tried

Rose 31 by Le Labo - Rose on top of spices. Dry & powdery. Think Burberry Brit without the sweetness and a medium-size rose on top. Nice but doesn't last

Lyric Man by Amouage - Very rosy. The rose note in this one reminds me of the similar rose note in Rose 4 Reines of L'occitane. The dry down has a slight shampoo-y note that feel a bit cheap. Overall, one of the most well-done rose but I'm not willing to pay $200ish for a bottle

Ta'if Rose by Montale - Red, lush rose wrapped around by wood and dust. Very dramatic and very hard to wear

Tea Rose by The Perfumer's Workshop - Elisabethan Rose but more synthetic smelling

Westside by Bond No 9 - Again Rose and Peony. Very boozy and festive feeling (smell nothing like Deep Rose although my description makes them sound similar )

Noir de Noir by Tom Ford - Westside by Bond No 9, the very slight differences being NdN feels a little darker and not as festive a.k.a without the wow factor that makes Westside so special

No 88 by Czech & Speake - No rose! Smells old and dated

Acteur by Azzaro - Similar to No 88 in style but with more rosy sweetness

Lumiere Noire PH by MFK - No rose

Rossy de Palma Eau de Protection by Etat Libre d`Orange - More well-done and less sweet CK Euphoria for Women

Rose Poivree by The Different Company - More patchouli than rose or pepper. I do not feel any animalicity in this one

Rose Ikebana by Hermes - Rosy and a bit fruity. Smells like millions of fruity-rosy women fragrances out there, maybe with a tiny bit more depth. Nothing special and do not worth the price tag.

Voleur de Rose by L'artisan - Like the name stated, the rose is stolen and no where to be found. Very nice and well-done but putting rose in the name is quite misleading since this one is more about patchouli

Elixir by Penhaligon's - I smell rose at the beginning of this fragrance but it quickly dies down. Do not consider this a rose fragrance

Aoud Flowers by Montale - They say it has rose but I can only smell aoud

Re: Rose Fragrances

There's not a lot left to say; lots of good recommendations above. I'll just add a few.

1. Opone by Diptyque. Discontinued, but you can still find it. A somewhat dark rose with a strong dose of saffron.
2. Eau Rose by Diptyqe. I saw that someone mentioned it above, but it deserves to be mentioned twice! A delicate, bright rose perfectly wearable by men.
3. Chanel No. 22 (Les Exclusifs). Similar to No. 5, but the rose and the aldehydes are amped up. Also sweeter. Again, a guy can definitely wear this.
4. Bal de Roses by Keiko Mecheri. Musky rose.
5. Aoud Damascus by Montale. Very rich, velvety rose with a strong dose of oud.
6. Ambre Nuit by Dior.
7. George Sand by MPG. Very earthy patchouli/rose accord.
8. Infusion de Rose by Prada. Crisp, light rose with Brazilian mate. Sits quite close to the skin.

Re: Rose Fragrances

For those who can pull off a soliflore rose - Montale Highness Rose is one of the most beautiful ones out there, a fresh, youthful and etherial rose de mai.

I also like Amouage's Homage and Tribute attars. Homage is a gentle and polite (unlike many other Middle Eastern blends) combination of rose, frankincense, sandalwood, citrus and a touch of oud. Tribute has got lots of stuff happening but the rose in the opening is strong and perfectly matched with the cleanest, whispiest frankincense accord. It can be further enhanced by adding a touch of pure rose oil of the spicier variety like Ajmal's Kashmiri.